Russia at the Seoul International Book Fair

The President of the Russian Book Union, Sergei Stepashin’s welcome speech to all participants and guests at the Seoul International Book Fair

Dear friends, dear attendees of the Seoul International Book Fair: publishers, writers, readers, and all those who are at the fair in person as well as virtually.

Last year, when the Seoul Book Forum moved online for the first time, Russia was a Guest of Honour. We took pains to present a large and diverse program so that our authors, book illustrators, translators, and publishers could get to know and talk to their virtual fans and all those who love and value Russian literature and culture in person the following year, surrounded by books at the Russian stand. But unfortunately, this year we have not been able to make our plan a reality.

The new coronavirus pandemic has not only deprived us of communication, but it has also done serious damage to various sectors of the economy, including the world book-publishing industry. Stringent quarantine measures that led to the closure of bookshops in many countries around the world, the decrease of purchasing power, and the cancellation of large book fairs and conferences have all had a severe toll on the state of this industry.

The search for a way out of this crisis has led to the more active use of digital space and the diversification of content. This has allowed publishers to offer e-books, audio books, and interactive books relatively quickly. Communication with authors and the launch of new books have moved to an online format.

Our participation in the Seoul International Book Fair is clear proof of this. And so, we want to give our thanks to everyone who has actively contributed to the preparation of this important event – first and foremost, to the fair’s management team who have made Russia’s online participation possible.

We have taken pains to make our program diverse and interesting. And we hope that this will be yet another important step in the development of our collaboration and the strengthening of friendly relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea. Welcome to Russia!

Organizers of the Russian participation

Those who organised Russia’s participation in this book fair are the Russian Book Union with the support of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and the autonomous non-profit organization promoting the development of the theory and practice of literary translation “The Institute for Literary Translation” (The ANO “Institut Perevoda”).

The Russian Book Union is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 2001. It unites leading Russian publishers, book distributors, printers, the paper industry, and representatives of the cultural, scientific, education, and library communities. It also includes a range of writers’ organizations and associations; all in all, over 1,500 book-industry entities are involved. Sergei Stepashin is the Union’s president in perpetuity.

The Union has always and will continue to prioritize the tasks of both supporting and developing reading and literary culture. Our main aim is to reignite a genuine interest in reading, especially among young people. Since 2015 (the “Year of Literature” in Russia), we have seen positive trends in the development of the book industry and introducing the younger generation to reading, as well as a growth in the number of active book readers.

The Union cooperates with the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, state ministries and other governmental bodies of Russia on a range of matters, advancing initiatives in legislation, the development of international relations and the support of creative writing. A number of cooperative and collaborative agreements have been signed with the following agencies and organizations: the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science (alternatively known as the Ministry of Enlightenment), Rossotrudnichestvo (the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation), the St. Petersburg Government, the Moscow Region Government, the Government of the Republic of Dagestan, the Arkhangelsk Region Government and the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Union co-organizes and always participates in the Moscow International Book Fair and the St. Petersburg International Book Salon. It ensures Russia’s participation in international book fairs in Astana, Belgrade, Bratislava, Havana, Leipzig, Minsk, Beijing, Seoul, Istanbul, Tehran, and Helsinki. The Union has also helped to organize a program of events in London, New York, and other countries.

Over the years, the Union has established 16 branches in various regions of Russia from Kaliningrad to Siberia. 40 cooperative and collaborative agreements have been signed with the heads of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and 28 interagency work groups have been founded. Most importantly, 28 regional reading-support programs have been developed with financial support raised by the Union, and 28 regional book forums have been held. In total, more than 100 reading-based events have taken place, and over 15,000 advertisements were used to promote reading in 16 different federal subjects.

Now the Union’s work emphasizes the importance of legislative activity, the fight against book piracy, the promotion of reading and the development of book distribution.

On 17th October 2019, at a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Association of Book Publishers which took place as part of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, the Union was elected a member of the International Publishers Association (IPA).

In 2020, the Russian Book Union received a Commendation from the President of the Russian Federation for the high professionalism of its employees and the impeccable work on its projects.

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